Jelle van Veenen holds a master in AI and did his PhD research in online dispute resolution atTilburg Law School. He's been instrumental in the development of the dutch legal tech scene and has some ideas as to why it's seen such growth in the Netherlands. ​

According to Marie Bernard, innovation director at one of the world's largest law firms and panel speaker at Lexpo in Amsterdam, attitudes towards automation are changing. - More and more, we are getting the message from our clients that automated processes may not be 100% perfect, but neither is manual work. And it's only the beginning.

The second installment of the legal innovation conference Lexpo is all about the trends driving change and how firms can adapt to these changes and thrive in a stagnated market. Perhaps it's no coincidence we gather to think about the future of legal here in Amsterdam.

​- Lexpo is THE legal innovation event, so the focus is … indeed … innovation. This year we have three innovation themes: artificial intelligence, marketing & business development, how to create and maintain an internal culture that drives innovation and the global development of the legal market. Of course there are a couple of very interesting keynote sessions and a specialChief Innovators Q&Asession, says Rob Ameerun.

What are some of the big trends to keep track of for law firms and in house counsels this year?

- The buzzword is AI of course. It’s getting difficult to seperate the facts from the fiction with so many companies now announcing legal AI apps and services. That’s why there is a special theme session at Lexpo’17 on this subject, followed by a panel discussion.

Nordic firms have only recently started investing in AI. What’s the situation in the Netherlands?

- Local offices of international firms of course benefit from what their headquarters are doing with AI, but besides that, the Netherlands is an ideal location for the big international firms in the UK to start pilots. That’s what we’re seeing with a couple of Magic Circle firms for instance. But also Dutch firms are starting to explore the possibilities. Also, RAVN opened an office in the Netherlands which will spark adoption.